Last Updated on 05/08/2024 by wccexam Desk
The central government is thinking of reducing the powers of the Waqf Board. Under this, a bill to amend the Waqf Board Act will be presented in the Parliament. There can be about 40 amendments in the existing Waqf Act. This will put a stop on the power of the Waqf to claim any land as its property and take possession of it. This proposal of the Center is facing strong opposition. Know what is the Waqf Board and how much power it has.
what is the meaning of waqf
Waqf is derived from the Arabic word ‘Wakufa’, which means to stay. Waqf means to dedicate trust property for public welfare. In Islam, it is a kind of charitable arrangement. Waqf is the property that is donated by the followers of Islam. It can be both movable and immovable. This property comes under the Waqf Board.
Who can make a donation
Any adult Muslim can transfer his property to Waqf. However, Waqf is a voluntary act and there is no compulsion for it. There is another term in Islam for charity, Zakat. This is mandatory for wealthy Muslims. 2.5% of the savings made from income in a year is given to the needy and this is called Zakat.
How Waqf Board is formed and works
Waqf has a lot of property, which can be maintained properly and used for charity. For this, there are many bodies at local and large levels, which are called Waqf Boards. There are Sunni and Shia Waqfs in almost every state. Their job is to take care of that property and use its income properly. This property includes helping the poor and needy, maintaining a mosque or other religious institution, arranging education and giving money for other religious works.
The Centre has formed the Central Waqf Council to coordinate with the Waqf Boards. According to the Waqf Assets Management System of India, there are a total of 30 Waqf Boards in the country. Their headquarters are mostly in the capitals.
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What is Waqf law
In 1954, the Wakf Act was passed during the Nehru government, after which it was centralized. The Wakf Act 1954 was responsible for the maintenance of this property. Since then, it has been amended several times.
Who all are included in the board
The board has a survey commissioner who keeps records of properties. Apart from this, it includes people like Muslim MLAs, Muslim MPs, Muslim IAS officers, Muslim town planners, Muslim advocates and Muslim intellectuals. There are administrative officers in the Waqf Tribunal. The state government decides who will be included in the tribunal. Often the state governments try to have as many Muslims as possible in the Waqf Board.
Why the controversy continued
It is alleged that the government has given unlimited power to the board. Waqf properties have been given special status, which is above any trust etc. The Waqf Board has been given the authority to investigate whether any property is a Waqf property or not. If the board claims any property as its own, then it can be very difficult to prove the contrary. Section 85 of the Waqf Act says that its decision cannot be challenged even in the High Court or the Supreme Court.
Many cases kept coming
Some time ago, BJP leader Harnath Singh had alleged that the State Waqf Board in Tamil Nadu had claimed ownership of an entire village in Tiruchirapalli district. A similar case has come up in Solapur, Maharashtra. In Uttar Pradesh too, the Waqf Board had claimed properties on a large scale, after which the Yogi government issued an order that all Waqf properties would be investigated. This is from the year 2022. But the results of the survey could not be revealed.
![Controversy over Wakf Board Amendment Bill 2024 and Wakf Act Controversy over Wakf Board Amendment Bill 2024 and Wakf Act](https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/aajtak/inline-images/delhi-waqf-board_0.png)
What is the most controversial
Wherever the Waqf Board encloses a graveyard, it often declares the surrounding land as its property. The law does say that the Waqf cannot claim private property, but it is difficult to decide whether a property is private or not. If there are no proper papers for the land, the property goes to the other party, while the Waqf does not have to provide any papers to prove its point.
How much property does the board have?
– According to the Waqf Management System of India, there are more than 8 lakh 55 thousand properties in the country which belong to Waqf.
– Waqf is the third largest land owner in terms of property in the country after Army and Railways.
– Uttar Pradesh has the maximum Waqf property.
– In UP, the Sunni Board has a total of 2 lakh 10 thousand 239 properties, while the Shia Board has 15 thousand 386 properties.
– Every year thousands of people donate their property to the Board in the form of Waqf, thereby increasing its wealth.
What is the government going to do now?
The Centre gave a proposal to reduce the unlimited powers of the Waqf Board. In this, verification of Waqf property will be mandatory. Similar verification will be done for those properties which are suspected to be private property and people who have been living there for years have claimed it.
Who is protesting
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi expressed anger amid speculations of amendments and said that the government wants to take away the autonomy of the Waqf Board, which is against the freedom of religion. Many Muslim organizations are also against the bill.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)